United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-05-25 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-790T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T P0b002ee18038b23a f:d01790t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T GAO-01-790T Air pollution control Respiratory diseases Electric power generation National parks Environmental monitoring Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina Tennessee Testimony A01063 Concerns have been growing about the air quality, visibility, and respiratory illnesses around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. This testimony analyzes recent trends in and contributing factors to (1) visibility impairments, (2) ground-level ozone, and (3) respiratory illnesses. This testimony also examines the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) plans to reduce its emission of regulated pollutants from generating electricity. Visibility impairments and ozone are largely attributable to the following three types of emissions: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. The counties that border the park generally have slightly higher mortality rates from two types of respiratory illness. The three types of emissions interact in the atmosphere to form ozone gas and sulfate particles, which are linked to respiratory illnesses. In response to federal laws and other factors, TVA is making substantial environment-related investments and expects to reduce its annual emissions of sulfur dioxide by 36 percent and its ''ozone-season'' emissions of nitrogen oxides by 68 percent between 1999 and 2005. This testimony summarizes the May report, GAO-01-658. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T.pdf GAO-01-790T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-790T Testimony GAO-01-790T; Air Pollution: Air Quality and Respiratory Problems in and Near the Great Smoky Mountains; Air pollution control Respiratory diseases Electric power generation National parks Environmental monitoring Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina Tennessee